Associate Operations Manager, Kitchen Innovation

KFC Corporation; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Taco Bell in Irvine, CA is seeking an Associate Operations Manager for Kitchen Innovation to drive next‑generation kitchen solutions. You will partner with Architecture & Design, Engineering, and Yum!

Red Labs to translate Kitchen 2030 into practical, scalable pilots and field-ready deployments. The role demands 6+ years in QSR operations, a Bachelor's degree, and a proven ability to develop business cases linking operations to P&L impact.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in QSR or multi-unit restaurant operations.
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred or equivalent practical experience.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate compelling business cases that connect operational solutions to P&L impact.
• Exercise strong judgment balancing speed, quality, consistency, cost to deliver scalable restaurant solutions.
• Proven track record of leading pilots and tests in real restaurant environments.

Responsibilities

• Supports the development of the business, operational, and economic case for next-generation kitchen solutions, partnering with cross-functional teams to bring concepts from pilot to scale.
• Translate Kitchen 2030 strategy into clear problem statements, success metrics, and test plans; protect accuracy, speed, quality, and consistency.
• Coordinate real-world testing and validation of kitchen equipment, technologies, layouts, and processes.
• Analyze pilot results and quantify impact across labor, throughput, order accuracy, and unit economics for scalability.

Skills

Pilot testing leadership

Business case development

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Associate Operations Manager, Kitchen Innovation

Irvine, CA, United States (Hybrid)

Job Description

Who is Taco Bell? Taco Bell was born and raised in California and has been around since 1962. We went from selling everyone’s favorite Crunchy Tacos on the West Coast to a global brand with 8,500+ restaurants, 350 franchise organizations, that serve 42+ million fans each week around the globe. We’re not only the largest Mexican-inspired quick service brand (QSR) in the world, we’re also part of the biggest restaurant group in the world: Yum! Brands.

Much of our fan love and authentic connection with our communities are rooted in being rebels with a cause. From ensuring we use high quality, sustainable ingredients to elevating restaurant technology in ways that hasn’t been done before… we will continue to be inclusive, bold, challenge the status quo and push industry boundaries.

We’re a company that celebrates and advocates for different, has bold self-expression, strives for a better future, and brings the fun while we’re at it. We fuel our culture with real people who bring unique experiences. We inspire and enable our teams and the world to Live Más.

At Taco Bell, we’re Cultural Rebels.

About the Job

The Kitchen Innovation Associate Manager supports the development, testing, and operational validation of next-generation kitchen solutions for Taco Bell. This role partners closely with Architecture & Design, Engineering, Food Product Development, and Yum! Red Labs to help evaluate kitchen systems that reduce team member workload, expand capacity, improve throughput, protect margins, and work effectively in restaurants. Reporting to the Director of Drive-Thru and Kitchen Innovation, this role helps translate the Kitchen 2030 vision into practical, field-ready solutions by supporting pilots, analyzing results, building business cases, and helping move proven concepts toward scale.

The Day-to-Day:

• Supports the development of the business, operational, and economic case for next-generation kitchen solutions, partnering with cross-functional teams (A&D, Engineering, FIT, Food Ops, Red Labs, Field Leaders & Finance) to bring concepts from pilot to scale.
• Help translate Kitchen 2030 strategy into clear problem statements, success metrics, and test plans, protecting accuracy, speed, quality, and consistency.
• Coordinate real-world testing and validation of kitchen equipment, technologies, layouts, and processes.
• Analyze pilot results and quantify impact across labor, throughput, order accuracy, and unit economics, ensuring scalability across 7,500+ restaurants.
• Partner with leaders to support pilot-to-scale execution by translating test results into deployment decisions, defining rollout criteria, and building clear business cases and roadmaps for leaders and franchisees.

Is this you?

• Minimum of 6 years of experience in QSR, multi-unit restaurant operations, restaurant innovation, or adjacent foodservice environments, with direct exposure to kitchen operations at scale
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred or equivalent practical experience
• Demonstrated ability to develop and communicate compelling business cases that connect operational solutions to P&L impact, including labor, throughput, capex, margin, and scalability considerations
• Exercise strong judgment operating in tradeoff‑heavy environments, balancing speed, quality, consistency, complexity, and cost to deliver solutions that work in restaurants
• Proven track record of leading pilots and tests in real restaurant environments, with a clear understanding of the gap between lab concepts and field‑ready, operationally viable solutions
• Practical, operator‑minded approach to innovation, with an ability to identify when ideas that look strong on paper do not scale operationally or economically and adjust course accordingly
• Excellent communication, organizational, and influence skills, including translating complex ideas into clear, executive‑ready narratives and